"If it turns out that President Barack Obama can make a deal with the most intransigent, hard-line, unreasonable, totalitarian mullahs in the world but not with Republicans? Maybe he’s not the problem."

Well, *cough* "mercurial has a variety of definitions, some of which have little to do with the physical properties and behavior of mercury the substance, and more to do with Mercury, the planet and mythical god. So, since I'm equating the definition of terrorism to the former, sue me if I opt for clarity. *cough* >:p

Who said do nothing? Six's point — and mine — is that what you're pushing is way easier said than done. But that's not to say we'd all be happy campers if it were as easy to do as to romanticize about.

The fact is, no one can say whether we're seeing a decline or just a lull.

I normally see the word mercurial in the idiom mercurial rise. A mercurial rise is something I never saw as fickle or volatile. However heard of a mercurial fall, even though it seems just as possible with that definition. Either way the definition makes more sense than just a surging mercury in a thermometer I guess. Can't help but wonder if the person who first coined the phrase mercurial rise didn't grasp the meaning of the word.

I normally see the word mercurial in the idiom mercurial rise. A mercurial rise is something I never saw as fickle or volatile. However heard of a mercurial fall, even though it seems just as possible with that definition. Either way the definition makes more sense than just a surging mercury in a thermometer I guess. Can't help but wonder if the person who first coined the phrase mercurial rise didn't grasp the meaning of the word.

I have always heard mercurial as related to a situation or personality which was volatile.Yes, mercurial has a few definitions. I guess every time we use a word that has multiple meanings ( almost all of them) we should opt for a more wordy way of saying it in case some people don't get it.

"If it turns out that President Barack Obama can make a deal with the most intransigent, hard-line, unreasonable, totalitarian mullahs in the world but not with Republicans? Maybe he’s not the problem."

Again, the assumption seems to be that we either stay the course we currently pursue or do nothing. I suggest there are other options.

Quote:

As nebulous as it is , you can measure success by the declining number of terror attacks.

Really? I daily adorn a tin foil hat to protect against attacks from alien invaders. I also daily measure the success of this tactic by the declining number of alien attacks upon our planet. Therefore, the wearing of tin foil hats must be warranted, no?

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